Just A Normal Day
by Xion the Author
Summary: Meet the Ice Age cast as their characters are adapted into everyday people in modern day time. What would their lives be like as humans? Even not as a herd, fate connects them as one whole family. Tears and laughter shared together in an inseparable bond/ Rated T for slight adult humor.
1. Morning

**Xion the Author: No point denying it anymore. I probably won't be coming back as frequently as I have before. Sorry everyone, but life has become INCREDIBLY hectic for me. And although some people may know that I've been busy with school work, I've also have problems with family and stuff. So, just to make things less of a loss, I guess I'll post this story I've been meaning to finish. It's halfway done. I really want it done, but I haven't the will to do so. I hope you enjoy it regardless. I might come back to finish it, but that goes as far as undetermined.**

**So, for explanations, this was supposedly my first ever "one-shot". Judging by the incredibly large amount of words, I couldn't really merit this as such. So I divided it into four chapters. **

**This is my first humanized Ice Age fanfic, and I wanted to finish and post this as to add to the collection of fantastic and original story ideas in the fandom. **

**Also, my perceptions of what the new "Shira" character would be like have been included. I may be right, but I may be wrong. But hey, I'm just guessing. Personalities may not be as concise as I've adjusted, but hey, again, I hope you guys enjoy reading it… whoever would be reading it.**

* * *

**Just a Normal Day**

"Sweetie, I'm leaving!" shouted a 6 foot-tall dark man from the door of a neatly cleaned home.

"Have a nice day at work, honey," said a rather round woman as she pecked him on the cheek. "Peaches, say goodbye to daddy!"

"Byeee da da!" a small child cooed as she toddled from the nearby play floor in the living room.

"I'll be back later, Peaches. Be a good girl now," Manny smiled as he picked her daughter up and hugged her.

After putting her down, he went through the garage door and into the blue car. Once he started the engine, he waved at his wife Ellie and Peaches and drove away, revealing the nice comfy suburban home they lived in.

While he was driving, and only after a few minutes after he started, he caught sight of a coworker of his still jogging in short clothes. Manny slowed down and reeled his side window before shouting, "Hey, Buckminster! You're gonna be late for work!"

The man glanced towards the road to see Manny. "Well, now. Early for work as usual, eh ya big lug! And didn't I tell ya tah call me Buck?" he replied while still jogging. "You know, you should at least jog every morning. You look like you could lose a pound or two."

"I'm not fat. It's all this… muscle. Makes me look poofy in this suit," he said.

"I suppose you don't really have free time, livin laife with a maite and all," Buck said.

"Well, _you_ seem to have a lot of free time being single, so why won't you come down for dinner with us?" Manny asked. "It'd be nice to have a few friends for company."

"Sure thing, Manfred!" Buck answered, conversing with him as he jogged and he drove slowly. Buck made exasperated breaths from jogging and conversing at the same time. "I've noticed you and yer family had an outing in a while, with you bein' a workaholic an' all."

"Hey," he called out. "What I do, I do for my family. And call me Manny instead if you want me to call you Buck."

"Right right, whatever floats yer boat, cap'n," Buck said, clearing his throat afterwards. "You should just know where to spend your time more. Friends included, like me."

Manny made a short sigh "Aren't you at least _concerned_ you might get fired?" he asked, career suddenly coming into mind.

"Don't think so," Buck answered confidently with a sly grin.

Manny raised an eyebrow from his first comment. "What makes you say that?"

"I… slept with our boss," Buck winked, flashing his blue eye.

The black man jerked his foot from surprise and almost hit the breaks. "You- you** what!**" he blurted. "You do know she has kids, right?"

"She's a single mother; she could use a little compassion," Buck slid a comment.

Manny gently rubbed a palm down his face. "How did you even manage to have her agree to… it?"

"Other than my looks, and attractive smile, women ah naturally attracted tah my _accent_," he boldly mentioned.

"How did you even get hired in the first place?" Manny asked out of the continuity of the awkward conversation.

"Meh, same reasons fo' the interviewah," Buck shrugged. "Lucky she was female." Manny wanted to add in something to that, but then he'd make _himself_ late. So he gave him a farewell nod, rolled up his side window, and sped up towards the city.

* * *

A few miles away, an alarm clock had just started ringing. A man sheepishly groped his arm around in search for the loud source of noise. But just before he could fall back to sleep again, his ears ringed as a familiar voice shouted towards.

"Rise and shine, sleepy bones!" a lisped higher-than-usual male tone bellowed, as if the voice lurched in from the door and blasted it open.

"Ugh…" the man groaned as he dragged his chest up. Empty cans of beer rolled down from his chest and to his side.

"Peeeyuu!" the blonde haired man covered his nose from a single whiff of the heavy scent in the room. "You know, you should really shtop drinking Diego. It'sh a bad habit."

Diego sighed as he placed his hand on his aching forehead, squinting his hazel colored eyes. "Go away, Sid. I'm trying to get some sleep," he said.

"And _I'm_ trying to be a good friend," Sidney lectured. Sid carefully made his way through the beer can-littered floor. "And you should really clean up the plache!" Sid mentioned. Careless as he always he, he stepped on one and lost focus of his next step, hitting the hard leg of a chair, and once he was out of balance he tripped in a carefully laid trap made by the clothes scattered around. He let out an ear-piercing shriek as he fell to the floor.

Diego brushed his hand up from his forehead and towards his short orange-brown hair and scratched up an itch. "I don't remember ever calling you _mama_" he instigated.

"Well, when you master hygiene, try working on sensitivity," Sid said while picking up empty cans and dirty laundry. "Ugh, you know what, just leave this to me and go take a shower already."

"_Somehow, I have this weird feeling that this scenario should be in reverse_," Diego thought. He rolled his eyes before he got up from bed. "Wait- you don't have t-" Diego was about to start picking up his litter when Sid stopped him and started to push him.

"Just go and get ready for work!" Sid cut him off. "Yeesh, and I thought _I_ was lazy."

Diego slowly made his way to the bathroom while watching his roommate clean up his mess. Once he got to the door, took off his clothes, and turned the shower on, he reflected on a few memories he's had.

"_It's been about a year since we moved in together,_" he thought while washing his hair. "_Sid's a close friend of mine since we were kids, and this was the guy who always got bullied in school. I was the one beating those kids up. Funny, how I've been the one taking care of him back then and how __**he's**__ taking care of me __**now.**_"

He turned the shower off for a second and tried catching his breath. He took some soap and lathered it all around him. "_Our parents weren't really well-to-do folks, and his at least managed to get him as far as college. Me on the other hand… had a complicated life._" Diego stopped for as he lamented. He turned the shower on again and the water trickled everywhere down his body. "_My dad was a drunkard, and soon enough he got himself into prison by doing stupid things while he was drunk. My mom got too depressed soon enough, and found vices enough to get herself killed._"

"Diego, I'm leaving! There'sh wafflesh in the kitcshen if you want shome!" Sid shouted before a loud thud echoed.

"Thinking about it now, Sid's all I got," Diego muttered after all the soap lathered on his body was carefully washed. Dripping water on the floor, he grabbed a towel and dried himself up a bit before tying it around his waist. He opened up the bathroom door, admiring the nice clean scent he's produced from the not so pleasant smell he had that morning. Diego gazed around the small apartment for a while. Even with his crummy job, he could barely pay for half the rent he and Sid shared. Sid always had to pay extra, and Diego didn't like the idea of having to rely on him. He walked towards his room and saw the place clean and tidy; definitely a huge surprise that was laying in store for him.

He opened up his closet and found a number of plain shirts and shorts that almost looked alike. Diego took out a random set of clothing and wore it without a picky choice. He slipped in the same red worn-out pair of sandals he's worn every day, and a pair of shades he conveniently placed on the top of his shirt.

Diego passed through the kitchen/dining room, or area to be precise, and saw a plate with two pieces of warm waffles. He knew Sid wasn't really one for cooking, which was obvious in its burnt appearance. But nonetheless, he took one to go and made his way out the door.

A few miles away, another alarm clock was ringing once again. But in the room it was in, not a single soul was inside. Both sets of bunker beds were obviously not tidied, the floor had scattered clothes all around, and empty cups and stale chips surrounded the tables and surfaces that decorated the putrid musk within the room. The only things well-kept inside were the books; ironically which had no sign of ever being moved from its place.

* * *

An outdoor view from its second-story glass window was a skateboard pool, thankfully provided by the school. One of the reasons why a certain pair of twins decided to enroll here.

"Hey dude! Check this out!" A blue eyed pre-adolescent said, who was wearing nothing but a black sleeveless shirt. He tilted over with a skateboard under his feet and he swooped down the empty pool and slid across whilst doing tricks in every passing height.

"Hah, nothing I can't do!" a similar looking one with brown eyes bragged as he went down from the opposite direction. Without difficulty, he was able to copy every move as they did it in unison. They slapped high-fives as they came across each other and their audience in the early hours of the morning could help but stare at awe at their skill and prowess.

Soon enough after their performance, they bumped fists and did their secret handshake.

"Nothing to it bro," the brown-eyed one said.

"Definitely," the blue-eyed one confidently replied.

Their peers came towards them with their cool-headed posture. "Righteous," mused one wearing a rainbow colored cap.

"We're the best in the university, aren't we Ronald?" said the one with brown eyes.

"Totally," he replied with a fist-bump.

A short man wearing a white and blue hoodie walked in beside Ronald. "That was great and all, but why do we really really _really_ have to be up this early in the morning?" he said.

"Ugh, I thought we already explained it to you," one of the twins, the one with blue eyes, said. "We're practicing for the Underground Skateboard Playoffs tonight."

His brown eyes flashed towards his brother. "Wait, Crash," he said. "You're serious about that?"

"Of course I am, Eddie!" his blue-eyed brother replied. "Our reputation will sky rocket to fame if we enter!"

"But aren't you forgetting something?" Eddie asked. "You know, something happening tonight?"

"What are you talking about?" Crash inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"Didn't Ellie tell us about it?" Eddie retorted. "You know, the family dinner she's planning _tonight_."

"What!" Crash exclaimed. "She couldn't pick any other date? I mean, it's not like there's _any_ particular occasion she's celebrating."

"Yeah, but we haven't heard from her for a long time," persuaded Eddie. "And she's our older sister after all"

"Ummm, are you guys having one of those twin arguments we should away from?" asked the one wearing a white-blue hoodie.

"Can it, Dab!" they both exclaimed at him before turning to face each other again.

"_Adopted_ sister," Crash argued, pointing out the obvious fact that she was black and the two of them were white. "Who, just happens to be older than us by a few years."

"But we've always treated her like our own flesh and blood," Eddie incited. "That's no reason for us not to go"

He cleared his throat realizing he said something offensive that he himself wouldn't approve of hearing. "I-I know that! But it's the USP! If we don't enter, we'll lose our chance of becoming famous skateboarders until next year!" Crash reasoned.

"Yeah, there's _always_ next year," Eddie repeated.

Crash made a frustrated sigh. "If we enter next year, we're lose our street cred as professional _Junior _skateboarders!"

"Come on bro, don't you think we'll be disappointing Ellie?" his concerned brother said. "I heard she's been planning this for a while"

Crash made a disgruntled face. "Look, she can plan another dinner some other time, but I'm not letting this chance to be king of the school to slip up," he said, distinctively making his point. "You're in this with me, right bro?"

Eddie felt reluctant, but in the end made a long heavy sigh. "Of course… bro"

"Great," he mentioned as a smile widened across his face. "Now come on, we've got a lot of practice to do."

* * *

The bus was about to leave, but Sid was able to get inside on the last second. He let out a relieved sigh before walking towards a nice seat. Inevitably, as usual, all the seats were taken save for the last one in the back. After dropping in the required change, Sid made his way all the way to the back and made himself comfortable on the blue cushioned seat on the left corner.

Watching through the window, Sid saw the ocean tides washing towards the shore. "That's where Diego works," he said to himself. He reminisced a bit with the years he spent with his best friend. "_I just started college, and it was only a day after when I found out Diego wasn't enrolled in any college. His family was a mess, and Diego sold off everything he could to keep their house. He even got a job to help pay the bills. But there was hardly any work anyone would give to only a high school graduate his age._" He lamented on while the sunlight flashed in his eyes.

"_In my second year, Diego seemed right at his limit. He was ready to give up the house, but he didn't have any place to stay. In the end, I tried to persuade both him and my parents that we rent an apartment. He was reluctant about it, as careless of himself as usual, but I managed to get him agree in the end. I got a part-time job with him at some fast-food restaurant, and more or less I was still able to finish college. After that, I got a nice paying job, and I promised him I'd help him get somewhere with his life too"_

"But it's harder to keep that promise than it looks," Sid muttered to himself. All those hardships made his mood turn, and he thought of looking for something to change his train of thought. He looked around and inspected the people in the bus. There were old people reading newspapers, some kids playing the latest gadgetry money could buy, and teens just practically mooching their time away prattling on in inadequate conversations. To the seat in front of him though was a toddler wearing a blue talking to his father.

"Wah- hey! Are you little Pinky!" Sid cooed. "Hiya Roshan!"

The man holding beside him turned and saw him. "Hey, well if it isn't you!" he said.

"Hey Runar, how've ya been?" Sid asked.

"Oh, being a single parent is harder than I thought," Runar said while Roshan smiled towards them. "But just being a parent is worth it"

"Ain't that nice," he said. "So Roshan, where's your dad taking you?"

"He's taking me to a baseball match!" he cooed.

"Really? Do you know what baseball is?" Sid asked.

"No…" Roshan answered while he shook his head.

Both Sid and Runar laughed. "Well, he's about to find out, aren't you," Runar chuckled. Roshan was also one of the kids he raised in the daycare center while Runar was looking for a job. It seemed as though everyone he knew was desperately searching for stable employment.

There was a day once when Roshan got lost, and Sid and Diego spotted him while they were walking one day a park. The baby was about to cross the street when a helpful black man stopped him in time. For some reason, Sid could never forget that day. And he wished the same for tiny little Roshan.

* * *

"Alright dear, let's strap you in," said Ellie as she strapped the baby seat on Peaches. "Let's get you to the daycare center," she cooed. Peaches waved her hand in the air excitedly.

Ellie was in a happy mood today. The sun was shining, her marriage was as flawless as it could be, she had the perfect husband, the perfect daughter, and later that day she was planning the perfect dinner. Everything that day just made her glow all around, and she couldn't help glance and smile along with her daughter in the side seat filled in her excitement.

But as she turned her face towards the road, she immediately stopped as she noticed a person right in front of the car. She blurted a quick "#$%" before hitting the brakes. Cars however don't stop dead on when prompted, so the car first skidded for a few meters before it could come to a halt. But before it could even slow down, Ellie already hit the person and made him roll over the car.

"Oh my goodness!" she jittered nervously as she unstrapped her seat belt. "Wait for me here, okay dear?" Ellie said to her daughter before hastily skipping to the victim.

She went towards the unfortunate person to see him groaning on the ground. "Oh my gosh, Buck! I'm so sorry, let me call 911!" Ellie shouted as she quickly drew out her cell phone.

"Oh no need for that," said Buck without a hint of a pained tone. He nonchalantly got himself up before popping his neck to the side.

"Wait, you're okay? But you just got hit!" Ellie shrieked.

"Used to be a stuntman," Buck explained. "Did a few tricks for the camera befo', and I learned a few things while workin'."

Ellie let out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness. I thought I'd have actually killed a person!"

"Raight… about tha'," Buck said. "You don't suppose we could go tah the hospital anyways, can we?"

"Huh? Buuut I thought you were okay," Ellie said inquisitively.

"I am, but I think I could use this as an excuse fo' wohk," he said. "Ya see, I'm not really as faithful with mah boss letting me slip for today because I slept with her last naight."

"You did what?" Ellie asked suddenly.

"So I think you could really help me out get a doctor's slip," Buck slyly grinned with a wink.

Ellie drew out a sharp breath. "I am **not** going to help you with that just so you could fool around and do whatever you want to do."

"Hey now, come on! Let's not forget who helped Manny get to the hospital when you were in labor," Buck persuaded. "An eye for a tooth, a nose for a chin, a _butt _for… ah..." The weasely man slyly changed his message. "…favor."

"My answer is _still_ no," Ellie said, crossing her arms.

Buck was left with no other choice. "You know, other than being a stuntman, I was a realleh good actah," he said. "And we practically 'ave an audience around us enough for a demonstration," He continued, pointing towards the people watching from their homes nearby.

"Don't you even dare…!" Ellie instigated.

Without a moment's hesitation, Buck was already on the ground once again in a fetal position. "Ohhh, it hurts! The pain!" Buck romanticized. "Oh, the laight! I can see the laight! Oh the horror!" Immediately, he was able to turn heads towards them. Ellie instantly notice the number of heads looking towards them.

"Okay okay!" she exasperatedly subdued, defeated in his attempt. "Get in!"

"Wahoo!" He cheered, instantly popping in at the back seat of the car.

"But we're going to the daycare center first, you got that?" Ellie declared. "I don't want to bring Peaches to whatever fiasco you're bringing me into"

"Alright alright, good point," Buck said, clearing his throat afterwards.

"Uncle Buckminster!" Peaches cooed as she caught sight of him in the front mirror.

"Hiya fruity!" he greeted with a smile.

* * *

The basement parking lot was eerie and cold as usual. It was completely desolate other than the fact there was a guard at the elevator at the far end of the parking lot. The graffiti all over the place was evidence enough that people were able to doodle to their hearts content. But Manny's eye caught a rather rare dainty sight.

On a pillar near the elevator, he saw a poorly drawn picture of a brown hairy elephant, a round green creature or whatever it was, and something that looked like an orange dog. Though as innocent as the crayon-made picture was, the idea of it being written on a wall made it less innocent.

"Morning Manfred," said the familiar guard at the elevator.

"Morning Carl, morning Frank," he greeted the two guards. "Another day at work, huh?"

"Another day, another dollar," Frank said as Carl scanned Manny with a handheld metal detector and let him pass through.

Manny got in the elevator and pressed in the usual floor number. The playing elevator music was the same as always. "A catchy tune from a song with nearly inaudible lyrics; Send Me on My Way, was it?" Manny asked himself.

A loud ping sounded off, and Manny was now at the seventeenth floor of Rudy Corporation, and insurance company. It was a tall large building that was centered in the middle of concrete jungle. Working for an insurance company was a dull and boring job, but it couldn't be any worse than working as a fry cook at a fast-food restaurant.

A friend of his spotted him as he passed by his cubicle. "Hey, Manny!" he called out. The tall man stopped on mid-stride and turned around.

"Oh, hey Tony," he greeted as he recognized the short person emerging from the cubicle.

"Guess who made employee of the month again?" Tony grinned as he leaned on the cubicle wall.

"Hmmm, I don't know," Manny replied sarcastically, "Oh, let me guess. It's you."

"That's right!" Tony proudly confirmed. You could sense the distinct narcissism in the air. He was always known for having almost double the amount of clients one of them would averagely have – coining him the nickname Fast Tony.

"Well now, good for you," Manny praised in an apathetic tone, though honestly he didn't really care.

"You bet! I'm getting' that promotion in no time!" he bellowed, his voice reaching far towards the other cubicles. Manny ignored him. He could care less about who got the promotion. Although having to spend less time in and a higher pay sounds tempting, Manny was quite satisfied with his current job. Helping clients was good enough for him, though most of the time he had to disappoint some for a few fallible conditions.

He reached towards his own cubicle, found around the middle, and sat down on the large black cushioned seat. A man of his stature was sure to take a lot of space, but he's learned to manage. Manny took a deep breath to prepare him for the in-coming tension. He glanced towards a picture of his family, Ellie and Peaches, and he having the supple of inspiration, his work began.

* * *

The sun was gleaming over the world with intense heat. It was practically toasty, and it made Diego miss the cold frigid climate at he and Sid's home town. "Well now, look who finally decided to show up," said a tanned shirtless man in a shack with a large sign on top that read '_Boards R Us!'_

"Hey, Oscar," said Diego as he walked towards the shack. "Could you… uh… _not_ tell this to Soto?" Diego asked.

"Sure thing, but I doubt he doesn't know about it already," Oscar answered.

Diego sighed. "Right…" he uttered. Somehow, he felt Oscar had a certain distaste for him. Most likely the man had already told his boss beforehand. Suddenly, out of the blue, a light-brown haired man quickly went up to the shack in an excitable manner.

"Hey Oscar!" the rather short edgy man bellowed from beside Diego. He shot a glance to the right and recognized who it was.

"Hey Zeke," Diego greeted, which seemed sheepishly in comparison to his rambunctious neighbor.

"Oh, hey Diego!" he replied before turning back to the shopkeeper. "Hey hey hey, Oscar, pair me up with a nice board, will ya'?" Zeke said in a jumpy manner. Whether he repeated the words on purpose or it was part of a mental defect, no one knows.

"Ugh, when will you ever _learn?_" Oscar wondered. But after catching sight of the money Zeke handed out to him, he immediately took on of the boards available and gave it to him.

"Hehe, nice doin' business with ya'," Zeke winked off before running towards the sea. Diego and the other guys at work knew why Zeke was so enthusiastic about surfing. Lenny fooled him into thinking that if he was good at surfing he'd eventually get a girlfriend. Unfortunately, it hasn't been happening for him lately. Or hasn't for the past year in fact. And everyone still kept up with the joke.

"Zeke isn't really one for using his brain, is he?" Diego mentioned.

Oscar nodded. "Yeah, he's one of those "men-of-impulse" kind of types," he added. "Still funny to look at though"

"Is Lenny here yet?" Diego asked.

"Yeah, he's already at the north end," Oscar answered, "I don't really get why I'm stuck in shop while the fat man's doing lifeguard shifts. If I were you, I'd move fast before Soto gets angrier."

"Right. Well, see ya' later then…" Diego took off and made his way through the sandy coast down the south end. The beach was a large arc that covered more than half an entire kilometer, so having lifeguards on both ends really counted.

You'd think its fun living a vacation every day for work, but Diego took his job more seriously, or at least when he _was_ at work. Baking in the sun while watching other people lounge in their free time wasn't really one of the job's good points. Luckily, early in the morning there weren't that many people likely to get themselves killed, especially on a weekday. Although to be honest, most of the people here were good swimmers - some even better.

By the time he reached the south end, he really thought Soto didn't notice he was a few minutes late. But out of nowhere, the person just sneaked up from behind him.

"Diego," he sneaked. "I was beginning to worry about you. Coming late is a bad habit, being a lifeguard and all. We wouldn't want to have any _accidents _to happen."

"Soto!" Diego flinched and drew himself back away from him. How does one even sneak up on a person in an almost empty beach. "I-I uh… I can explain…!"

"I don't want your excuse," his boss said in a menacing tone, but started to delve into a more soothing tone "Although, I _am_ willing to let this slide for a bit of… compensation."

"Wh-what do you mean?" Diego asked. He behaved quite cautiously, as he always did around him. The man just had an aura surrounding him, as if anyone nearby would be invited into trouble.

"Look over there Diego," Soto said as he pointed further down the sandy shores towards the ocean. At a distance, they could see a blonde beauty with a fair complexion and wore pink beach wear. "Ain't she a babe? Wouldn't you just kill to be with a girl like that?"

"Uhh… well…" Diego couldn't reply properly. At the first thought of a beautiful girl he quickly remembered someone. He did have someone specific in mind, but it wasn't something he's seriously considered. Yet…

"I want you to be my wingman, and help me get a date with her," Soto said. "I want that baby Diego."

"Can't you ask anyone else?" Diego asked. "I'm not sure if I'm up for that."

Soto raised his points with every counting finger. "Lenny doesn't have any talent for talking with women, Oscar is looking over the shop, and Zeke - well…" The two heard a loud yell coming from the ocean. The turned their heads for the moment to see the devil swinged up in the air and sank down into the water. "That speaks for itself"

"I don't know boss, I might screw it up," Diego unconfidently insisted.

"Diego, you're the only one I trust," said Soto. "But, if you really want to lose your job that bad-"

"Oh, no no no, I'm on it. You can-" Diego tried wearing a confident smile. "You can count on me. I'll – I mean, _you'll _definitely have her."

"You'd better," Soto instigated. "Unless you could serve to find me a replacement." Soto then whispered to him his plan. Diego seemed less interested and unwilling, but he had no choice but to follow him.

After whispering it to him, Diego nodded as he was about to attempt the plan. "Oh, and by the way Diego, this doesn't mean I'm willing to let you slip every now and then," Soto told him in mid-stride, making him stand for a moment. "Come back on time tomorrow, or don't come back at all."

Again, Diego gave him a silent nod and continued off towards the girl at the shores. He was always calm and cool-headed most of the time, but whenever it involved work he'd get all flustered. While on his way, he tried to shake off any amount of tense he had and cooled off. Diego sucked in a breath and kept it in his chest for a while before letting it all out in a brief moment, and the plan then ensued.

* * *

The bright sunlight rayed through the glass window and landed on the eyes of a drowsy man, bringing him to his morning wake. And, with the end of his dream he phased back into reality, and the first thought that shot through his mind made him shriek. Thankfully, his roommate was already out of the room before he could hear him.

"Aaah!" He yelled as he got up on the bed, reaching towards his dysfunctional alarm clock. "Oh no! The library has opened by now!"

He swiftly rummaged through a random heap of clothing, putting them on quicker than he could grab them. From his attempt of trying to wear them at once, he tripped and fell on the floor, but quickly got up as if it was nothing but a routine exercise. The man took his library card, with a name written Scrat on it, and hastily went through the door.


	2. Noon

Sid sheepishly got down the bus. He walked down the street near a bakeshop he adored passing by to take in the sweet aroma that would enthrall any passer-by, tempting him enough to make a purchase. Then, his stomach grumbled, and he knew that eating a half-burned waffle wasn't going to last him for the entire morning.

Quicker in comparison to how he usually moves, he bought two pieces of croissants and feasted hungrily like a pack of starving tigers. He wasn't even 10 meters away from the bakery that he had already finished eating. Thankfully, a few meters away you could also find the daycare center, in which he was also finished licking his fingers by the time he got there. A bell chimed in as he opened the door.

"Oh, you're here!" a red haired woman said as she turned and noticed the dark-yellow shirt wearing man.

"Shcratte! You're here early!" Sid greeted.

"Oh, I just came here to check on a few things, thought I left something," Scratte said, "and in case you might not show up."

"What do you mean 'might not show up'? I love my kidsth! I'd do anything to take care of them," he said.

"Right, sorry. It's just that your not really one for… being careful," she explained.

"Oh don't worry about me. You thhould take care of yourshelf more! You're a sthudent at the university aren't you? Being a working sthudent-" Sid paused for a correct term, but just couldn't find the right one. "-is a lot of work!"

"Fine, if you insist," Scratte moaned as she grabbed her backpack. "I'll come back in the afternoon." Before she could exit through the door, she stopped when it was half-open.

"Oh, and by the way," she said catching his attention. "Sylvia might want to see you"

Sid shuddered at the thought of her. "Err… okay. Thanks for telling me…" he nervously muttered. As Scratte made his way back to school, Sid made his way towards somewhere as horrific and terrifying.

Scratte was a part-time worker who could come and work whenever she wanted to, and Sid was a full-time employee. Sylvia's family was the owner of the establishment, but she was also working somewhere else. She only lived two floors up where she also kept her "office". Sid recommended Diego to her once, but Sylvia didn't seem to like him. Diego after all wasn't really a good candidate to begin with, since his looks could scare the children away. But at home, he and Sid could both agree that they didn't like _her_.

The door creaked open, and Sid slowly and unwillingly continued inside.

"Sidney!" a red but messy haired girl bellowed. Sid knew at that point there was no turning back.

"I-I'm here!" Sid shyly greeted the buck-toothed woman. She had the semblance of a beautiful swan… or at least, when it was still an ugly duckling.

"Oh Sidney, every time I see you with a child, I imagine us _together_ with our own," she romanticized.

"Errr, right." Diego warned Sid that if he said anything offending, he might end up losing his job. "That… sounds great."

"**Really**!" she asked so excitedly that it almost sounded like a shriek in a horror movie. She drew in so close to him that he could almost faint. "I mean- really? Oh, I knew you knew that _I_ was the woman for _you_!"

Sid silently gave her a blank stare with his jaw wide open as she continued bouncing around giddily. "My dad owns this small lot, but I'm sure that one day we could get a bigger one! We might start out small, but if could just keep remodeling and remodeling and remodeling-"

"Uhm, Sylvia?" Sid muttered. "D-don't you think you be late for something?"

Then, the seemingly hysterical woman suddenly straightened up. "Oh, I might be late for my doctor's appointment!" Sylvia said as she hastily grabbed her bag and hoisted it around her shoulder. "See you around," she said before drawing close to his ear in a whisper, "lover."

Sid had a mini heart attack, leaving him stunned on the spot. "Help. Me."

It took him a while to lapse back into reality. He looked at his watch and it was about time for children to start coming.

He went down to the first and waiting for a few minutes. Only after five did children started swarming in like hungry locusts in search of food, only in this case, in search of toys.

Their parents waved goodbye as Sid guaranteed the safety and happiness of their children. Sid counted the number of children, as hard it may have been for their rambunctious nature, and noticed a shortage of perhaps a single child.

Suddenly, the bell tied above the door chimed in and Sid turned to see the person he was looking for.

"Here you go Peaches. Be nice now" said Ellie as she let her daughter walk in.

"Why hello there Ellie! You having a wonderful day?" Sid asked as he went up to her and Peaches.

"Oh, a wonderful day, you say?" Ellie turned and glanced towards Buck waving plainly through the car window. Ellie gave a brief sigh before uttering in a ludicrous tone, "You don't know the half of it."

Sid wondered what she meant about that, and he was about to look over and see what was about when Ellie caught back his attention.

"Which reminds me," Ellie started, "We're having dinner at Wilford's. And I'd _love_ to invite you!"

"That Thoundsh pretty important. You shure you'd want _me_ to be there?" Sid said.

"They invited me too!" shouted a person from the black van currently parked in front of the daycare center. Sid raised an eyebrow and wanted to know who was there. Again, Ellie paid no attention to it as she tried to grab Sid's attention again.

"It's a family dinner, and since you're close to Peaches as much as we are, you're just as family," she inquired. "So, what do you think?"

"Then I'd love to!" Sid answered before a thought shot through his mind. "Oh! But, there'sth shomeone I want to take with me. If, that'sh okay with you guyth."

"It's to'ally okay!" the voice from the van once again bellowed. Sid once again got curious who the English-accented voice was.

Ellie was totally for it, but to make sure his husband wouldn't have _too_ much of a fuss over it, she wanted to play it safe. "Who are you bringing?" she asked before noticing Peaches playing with the other kids.

"Oh, just thomeone ath closhe ath family to me; he'sh a really loneshome guy," the dull-yellow shirted man said. "I share an apartment with him, and he'sh been my friend thince childhood."

The black woman didn't know how to assess if it was a good or bad idea, but she passed it off as she noticed time was passing swiftly by. Besides, it was the thought that counted. "That'd be just fine," Ellie said as she waved her daughter goodbye. "Be there at seven!"

"Will do!" Sid bellowed as she went back to her van. He piqued his interest and wondered why she went through the sliding back door first. The car suddenly staggered and juggled with loud hammering-like sounds coming from the inside, as if a bowling ball was dropped from a five-story building. Curiosity replaced with surprise and a bit of fear, Sid thought it was best to just leave it alone.

"Okay kids! Gather around!" bellowed Sid to get the attention of the children, all smiling enthusiastically for today's activity. The man had a way with kids, that's for sure. Everyone obediently went to the color patterned mat as they all sat and looked up to him.

"So, who has something _interesting _to share today?" Sid cooed. Amongst the chorale of excited children, Peaches flamboyantly waved her right arm in the arm. "Yes Peaches?" he pointed as she among the others seemed to most restless.

"My mommy sed a neau word t'day!" she tweeted daintily.

"What is it?" Sid playfully asked.

Peaches had an innocent smile worn across her face, and it was unknown and unexpected to Sid what she was about to say. "She said-"

* * *

The entire seventh floor was filled with the noise of talking people collected from staff to clients, ringing of phones coming from each cubicle, and the metronome of numerous clocks enough to shape a madman. "Uhh, sir, no. We don't- wait, please stay on hold," said Manny as he reached for another phone at his side.

"Good Morning sir. This is Rudy Corporation, how may we assist you?" The chant so well-memorized it was literally lodged in his head. "Why yes, we do provide those services. Let me redirect you to another of our staff, please wait." Manny pressed down a few buttons and the call was off. He then went back to his first call.

"Sorry for the inconvenience sir-" His routine apology was cut off by a long beep. Manny blinked and momentarily kept his eyes close as he sighed heavily.

"Boy is this hard work," Manfred said to himself.

"Need a coffee break?" said a voice coming from the opening of his cubicle.

Manny turned to see a friend there leaning on the wall, holding a cup each in both hands. "Yes, please," he said, coming up to get one. "Thanks Lone" He grabbed the coffee his friend handed to him and drank indulgently.

"No prob, Manny," Lone said. His full name was a mystery to everyone, and he chose to call himself Lone Ranger. Manny felt it was a bit ironic, as he was friendly just about to everyone. He wasn't exactly close to them, but he was a good friend nonetheless. He had long black hair, which he kept with ponytail.

After letting the coffee settle down his throat and feel warmly in his stomach, Manny let out an exalted breath. "What's up?" he asked Lone.

"Word came in from the top," he replied. "Looks like Buckminster is in the hospital"

"What!" Manny asked surprisingly. "Is he alright?"

"Yeah, called in himself. Said he won't be coming in today," Lone explained. "Just thought you'd want to know" With that, he took his leave. A few steps away, Manny leaned out of his cubicle and called out to him.

"Hey Lone," Manny said. "Thanks."

Lone gave him a nod and the man went back to his workplace. Manny went and sat back down on his chair. He gave another sigh, but of a strange mix of both worry and relief.

Manny had a family once, before Ellie and Peaches. And unknown to everyone else, he still had a picture of his old family in the second drawer of his desk. He held on to it, as a reminder, of how easily you could lose the people you care about the most. Ever since the freak accident that cost the lives of family, he had cared more deeply for the people close to him, even to his friends. Although they could take care of themselves perfectly fine, he never hesitated to do anything for them.

Thinking about it now, he had been here for majority of his life. Almost 10 years in fact; since his first and now his second family.

He leaned back on his reclining chair and stared up to the ceiling. After doing some reflective thinking, he tried to relax a bit. "_Come on, at least he's okay_," he thought. Manny felt a bit less tense and decided to go back to work. But just as he was about to pick up a phone, someone knocked on the side of his cubicle.

"Hey, Manny!" Fast Tony said excitedly. "Mommy Dinosaur is here! She's finally giving someone that promotion!"

Though uninterested as he was, Manny couldn't help but feel a _tiny_ bit curious. He got up and followed Fast Tony to the kitchen corner. Almost everyone was crowding in with Momma trying to calm them all down.

They had all coined the nickname for her. As one of the workers once said before, "She's as fierce as a dinosaur, but still as loving as your own mother"

Manny got to the end of the crowd, a distinct head showing from the average height of 5'8" of people in front of him. Fast Tony was around four inches smaller, so he could hardly be seen.

"Alright, settle down everyone," Momma said with stern voice. "Your not kids for Pete's sake"

"Do people really get promoted like this?" asked Manny in a soft voice to a random co-worker. "Or is this just we do?"

"Momma! Momma!" shouted Fast Tony excitedly. "Who're ya gonna give the promotion?"

"Wait. Before I announce who our lucky winner is," their attractive black-haired boss said. "I would like to start off by thanking everyone for doing a good job. I'd also like to have a moment of silence for our recent Supervisor who passed away, who in doing so opened this vacancy."

And everyone did remain silent. It was a long moment, lasting around five seconds.

"Momma! Momma!" cried Fast Tony, breaking the chain of silence while wildly jumping and swinging his arms in mid air. "So who? Who got the promotion?"

Mommy Dinosaur held him off for a few seconds before speaking. "I'd like to mention that this person has been very hardworking and loyal. "Your new Supervisor is-" Everyone listened attentively while Fast Tony could hardly stop bouncing in place. "-Manfred!"

Everyone, happy or disappointed, applauded in unison. They all turned around to give the lucky man a big hand. Apart from the congratulations, and expected sighs and moans, Fast Tony let out a disembodied cry. "What!" he yelled in disbelief. Manny was just as surprised as he was. "Why did _he_ get promoted?"

"Manfred has been working for us for a long time," Momma answered. "I don't think there's anyone more capable than him"

"But I've been working my butt off since I've been here!" Fast Tony retorted. "I've made profits _more_ than anyone in here ever has!"

"Yeah. You'd even sell your own mother for a gift basket," Lone remarked, making his appearance a meter away.

"Are you making an offer?" Fast Tony whispered closer towards him before rolling back to everyone else. "I mean- no, I would never do that!"

"I understand how you're disappointed, but you've only been here for a few months. Everyone else has been here longer than that." Momma explained. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have my _own_ kids to take care of." And with that, she went to the elevator and left the others. But before the elevator door closed in front of her, she stopped it with the tap of her red-nail polished fingers. "Oh, and Manny, you don't have to worry about moving your stuff. Our janitors will take care of that for you. Just take the rest of the day off because you'll start tomorrow."

As her elevator descended, Manny still stood in shock. "Is… is this really?" he muttered.

"Kudos," Lone mentioned. "Too bad you're friend didn't get to hear this, huh?"

"Ugh! I don't believe it! I had too work extra hard for nothing!" Tony yelled continuously as he went back to his cubicle.

"I… I don't believe it," Manny said.

"Hey, why won't you tell your family about this?" Lone suggested. "I bet they'll be thrilled"

Manny glanced towards his friend, blinked one last time to check if he was dreaming, and smiled with a quiet nod.

* * *

"Now _why_ are we walking all the way to a skateboard pool farther than where we usually skate?" asked Dab, who seemed rather annoying to the others.

"_Because_ you stupid dodo, we're going to show off to other people," said Ronald, the tall one wearing a rainbow colored cap.

"Plus, we get to see some of the competition," Crash added while they walked. "Right, Eddie?"

He turned towards his brother to see him in a quiet state. Eddie was contemplating in deep thought, hardly hearing the world around him. His focus of mind was at somewhere else. It took his brother nearly three times to call him "Bro" before he lapsed back into reality.

"You seem a bit off today," said Crash as Eddie faced towards his attention.

"What?- Oh, no, I'm fine." Eddie eluded. Close was the relationship of twins, allegedly said to think and act almost the same way. Eddie wondered if this was explanation for choosing to side with his brother than with his sister. Although she _was _adopted, he's always felt attached to both of them equally. There was never a distinct line for the, God be my only witness, _love_ (he cringed at the thought) he had for them.

Crash raised an eyebrow but shrugged it off. Their two friends had noticed his absent-mindedness as well.

"Looks like something's on his mind," Dab told Ronald.

"Hey, at least he can still skate even without being focused," he teased. "Unlike you, who can't even skate at all"

"Hey!" Dab blurted. "That's not true!"

"Oh yeah?" Ronald leered. "Prove it."

"Fine! I'll show you right now!" Dab took his skateboard and immediately took a stride of momentum and immediately hopped on. It took both Crash _and_ Eddie's attention.

But almost immediately as he stood on his skateboard, he slipped up and the board kept on rolling. He landed on his butt and the other simply watched his black skateboard continue going down the way.

"I'm actually thankful tah Ellie fo' givin' me these nasty bruises," said Buck as he walked through the park with a satisfied grin on his face. "Made the storeh more believable to the doctah."

As he joyfully skidded along the pavement, his last stride made him unsuspectingly step on a random skateboard that came out of nowhere. He felt his right leg suddenly change feel, and the spectating college students watched with anticipation of a terrible incident. But just as one would expect him to slip and fall, Buck quickly gained composure and got both of his feet on the skateboard. He then started to pick up speed and before they knew it he was riding it like a pro.

"He-hey!" Dab shouted, lifting himself from the ground. "That's my skateboard!"

Buckminster smirked as he started to do tricks, starting off with a horizontal 360 flip, jumping as kicked the skateboard to a turn in mid air and immediately falling back in balance. Next up was a set of stairs with a rail for people to hold on, and slid down the green metal rail. After doing so, he leaped it into the air and was even able to do a horizontal 180 turn before landing and hitting the brakes.

The others ran in awe. A guy in a suit just suddenly mounted on a random skateboard and did insanely awesome tricks without much effort, right in front of them!

"Dude! That was awesome!" shouted Crash. "You're like the brother I never had!"

"Me too!" added Eddie, whose self-gathered silence had even been broken.

"It's nothin' realleh," Buck replied. He picked up the skateboard and gestured to it.

"Oh! That'd be mine!" Dab jittered. Buck threw it in the air and he waved his arms out in surprise before it simply landed on his chest.

"What's your name, yo?" asked Ronald.

"The name's Buck. Short for Buckminster," he said as he fist-bumped the twins. "Long for _Buh_"

"Where did you learn to do all that?" asked Crash in amazement.

"I used to skateboard when I was 'round you' age too," Buck answered. "At Veronica University."

"Hey! That's where we're enrolled too!" Eddie mentioned.

"Realleh now?" Buck asked. "Come to think of it, it's the USP 'round this year raight?"

"You joined the USP before?" Crash inquired curiously.

"Aye, even won it," answered Buck nonchalantly.

"You did!" the four blurted out.

"Woah, what was it like, being at the top and all?" Dab asked.

"Oh, it was great!" Buck said proudly with a wide grin across his face. "Best year of mah life! Anyone who's _anyone_ just treats you like theah king." He reminisced some of his past memories before flashing back to the present. "Why, you lot wanna join in that fun?"

"Yeah!" Ronald said enthusiastically. "We're gonna be the first _juniors_ to win it!"

"You must be pretteh good to be that confident," Buck said. "Huh, come to think of it, I've never realleh seen a third year win the USP befo'. I guess that _would_ be the first in history."

"Oh man! I'm getting pumped up just hearing about it!" Crash bellowed as he high-fived everyone, save for his own brother.

Eddie took a moment to approach their new acquaintance. "So, did you join the USP for any reason?" he asked Buck.

The black-suited man raised an eyebrow. "Not realleh. I just felt laike it," Buck answered.

"Wait, so you really didn't do it for something, or some_one_, or anything for that matter?" he continued to ask.

"More like, I didn't really have anything better to do," Buck replied, and for a moment, he seemed to be able to read Eddie's mind, seeing just what he was thinking. "Buut-" he added to grab his attention. "Unless of course, there _is_ something you have better to do"

"Well, yeah errr, no – I mean- umm." For some reason, Eddie suddenly spoke his mind, thinking only how awkward his conversation was going to be with a man he just met a moment after."

"Look mate," Buck said, "These things just come and go, and there'll be plenty moah, believe me. But if there's something more important to you, you've gotta keep it close."

Eddie cringed while side-glancing. "I know, it's just…" he said while taking a peek towards Crash as he and the other two were whittling away time speaking in excitement. "It's just that… I don't want to let someone down…"

"Whatever you do, just do what you think is right," said the suited man. "If you do, you'll never go too wrong" He then held out his fist towards Eddie. Eddie made a silent nod and fist-bumped the almost-complete stranger.

Buck then turned his attention to everyone else. "Right, you lot have now. Sorry about the skateboard mate."

"No problem dude!" Dab replied.

"See ya' Buck!" they shouted as he walked away.

Eddie fell even deeper in his pool of thoughts, restricting himself further from reality. Crash took notice of it and approached him.

"Bro, come one," he said whilst bumping his elbow to him. "Let's go."

"…right. Okay."

* * *

Ellie arrived at work a few minutes late, thanks to a slight problem she had on the road. She parked the van at the car lot and walked the next few blocks to work. Along the way a few yellow-helmed workers were chatting near an open sewer hole when they caught sight of her. They started jeering and whistling, which made her smile in flattery.

"Thank you boys," Ellie winked at them with a delighted tone as she continued to walk by.

At a red bricked building with a sign reading "Mammoth Hair Salon" on top, women were coming in and out for their usual hair appointments. The pink door chimed in a bell from above, one almost identical to that at the daycare center.

"Looks who's finally here," a girl with long curly auburn hair said.

"Hiya Rose, sorry I'm late I ran into some trouble on the way," Ellie replied as she came in. "A **lot** of trouble"

"Now _that_ doesn't sound too good," said Rose as she stopped from working on her client momentarily while conversing with her.

Ellie let out a sigh. "Oh, its nothing."

"Well your usual clients are here, so don't keep 'em waiting," Rose replied.

The black woman went to her station to see her first customer all ready and seated. "Sorry I'm late Vera, I didn't make you wait too long did I?"

"Oh! No no no, it's okay. You should be more worried about yourself" the blonde woman replied, putting down the magazine she was recently reading. "You're other customers have been lining up since early this morning!"

"Time to get started then," Ellie smiled as she let the salon chair recline backwards, turning the faucet on to start with washing Vera's hair.

"Sometimes, I wonder why you're even working here Ellie," conversed Rose while she herself was working on a customer. "Doesn't your husband make more than enough for your family?"

"Oh I'm no housewife," Ellie sassed. "I don't want to spend my entire life cleaning a house day in and day out. I'm workin' because I want to"

"Mmm hmm, you say it, honey," Vera added while her hair was being doused with water.

The salon was all Ellie could ask for. The pay wasn't much, but that wasn't what she was really after. Working there made her feel like the woman she should be. It was small, but her work was known around the neighborhood. Every housewife would know about the great compassionate hair dresser who worked at the corner of the street.

"So, Ellie, how's life with your _man_?" Rose asked. "Is it being exciting being with a tall, dark, and handsome man?"

"Oh don't get me started," she answered with a flamboyant charm.

* * *

Diego was sitting on the sand near the lifeguard post, watching his boss go all over the woman whom he helped him get. The plan was simple really. He had to act all lewd and perverted and Soto would just come in and save the damsel in distress. Nothing but a sore slapped cheek was all it took, but at least his job was safe for now.

He preferred sitting on the sand more than at the tall seat where he would bake like an oven just the same. The sand was more comfortable, and unless the view started to get crowded he'd stay there for the entire duration of his shift. Letting himself relax as much as possible, basking in the sun as it radiated down his body, from his head down to his washboard abs and further down his waist.

Diego kept himself mesmerized by the view of the ocean. The tides that kept flowing in, the shimmering blue waters complimenting the hue of the sky, and the ocean breeze brushing on his skin was all that occupying his mind. There, he wondered, that if anything of those things would change, would some things change for him too?

Realizing he was depressing himself, Diego quickly discarded the thought. But just as he passed off a heavy thought, one simply skipped in almost instantly.

"Your boss giving you a hard time again?" asked a feminine voice from behind him.

Diego turned his head and looked up to see a well-tanned woman with short blue bikinis; her brown eyes matching exactly along her complexion. She had long caramel brown hair that waved along with the gust of wind.

"Oh! Uh, Shi-Shira!" Diego stuttered. Now there were two things that got him flustered, the first being about his job, and the second about the person he liked. "A-actually, it's nothing. I'm pretty much used to it.

"That's good to hear," Shira replied. From afar, she could see Soto and the girl coddling near the water. "Makes you wish a crab got his foot, huh?"

"That wouldn't be too much to ask, would it?" Diego said with a grin. Shira giggled at his comment, and suddenly Diego reverted to his anxious state.

Shira went and approached Diego further, going down to sit beside him. That didn't help his nervousness – not one bit. "So, how are things? You doing okay?" she asked.

"I-I'm fine," Diego muttered before clearing his throat and trying to keep his vocal chords from being shaky. He drew in a silent breath and let out as much tension as possible. "Things are still rough, but I can make do"

"Wow, I wish I could always be as calm as you are," Shira said while stretching her arms up, popping the lazy joints at her shoulders and elbows. "It must be nice being like that"

"_Oh you don't know the half of it," _Diego mused sarcastically to himself in his mind.

Shira let her legs extend down the sand and leaned back with her arms pushing her weight. "It must also be nice with a job like this," she said. "You're practically at both work and vacation at the same time."

Diego caught sight of the smile formed by her rosy lips. He could hardly resist flushing into a deep red. He tried keeping his composure, one way or another. Diego tried averting his notice and lightly bit his tongue. "N-naah, it kinda gets old pretty fast," Diego replied honestly.

"What do you mean by that?" Shira inquired curiously, now facing more directly towards him, giving an even more clear view of her beautiful eyes.

"Just watching rich people enjoy themselves while I bake in the sun gets kinda sick and tiring," he answered. "It really isn't much of a fun job since I'm not _allowed _to have fun. Let alone my boss can be a real brute."

Shira brought up an arm and said, "Then think about it this way. You get to keep everyone safe from harm and stuff."

"There hasn't been _one_ incident since I've been hired. _Ever_," Diego explained. Shira silently blinked back.

"Then at least you don't _really_ work at all!" Shira said enthusiastically. "Maybe I should to apply here. If I could, then two of us would be just like Baywatch. I get to be like Pamela Anderson, and you get to be David Hasselhoff."

Diego made a teeth-bare smile, liking not the idea that they'd be like two iconic actors, but at the mention of the phrase "two of us". But almost immediately, he snapped himself back into reality.

"I'm… not sure they have an opening though," he said.

"Aww, not ain't that too bad," she mentioned. It caught Diego's ears and made him wonder. "I might've liked it better than my own job"

"What is your job?" asked Diego.

"That would be _one_ of my little secrets," Shira winked.

"_Wait,_ _does that mean something?" _he pondered, but before he could do any more passive thinking, a loud beeping sound sirened nearby.

Shira sighed as she glanced towards her watch. "I can't believe how fast time goes, I hardly got near the water," she said to herself. She then turned her gaze back to Diego. "I have to go. It was nice talking to you." She got up and patted the sand that stuck on her bare thighs.

"Oh, uhm," Diego thought frantically of any way he could spend more time with her. But the only idea he could think of was probably the most deadly. Without anything else, he took all his courage and went for it.

"Hey, uhh, Shira," Diego said nervously. "Do you – err – you think we could maybe, you know," he then started scratching the back of his neck and continued doing restless mannerisms, "maybe we could go somewhere, after my shift? Just the two of us."

Shira smiled at him, and for a moment he thought maybe he could finally tell her how much he liked her. But in reality, she shot him down. "Sorry Diego. I appreciate the offer, but I won't be free any time soon." She apologized, and that was only the start of his depression. "Maybe next time."

"Uhh… yeah. Next time…" muttered Diego as she waved him goodbye and left without another word. He smiled back at her while he waved goodbye, but as soon as she was a distance away, Diego let out a heavy sigh and rubbed both his palms down his face.

"Right, yeah. Next time. Like that might ever happen." Diego lamented surrendering to his anxiety as he laid back on the sand. "I'm not sure if I'd even have the courage to show my face to her again!"

* * *

Scrat was hurriedly running down from the bus, and all his paperwork was fluttering randomly one by one in the air as he swiftly grabbed it back a moment after. "_Why does the library have to be this far?_" The library was ways away from the bus stop, and the campus didn't exactly have anything for immediate transportation. And the flaring sun hanging above didn't help at all. He yelped as he bumped into other students at the university from rushing. He was thankful that at least it was a weekend, so the campus wasn't crowded or anything.

By the time he reached the building entrance, he took a moment to catch his breath. But an instant after, he bolted immediately towards the stairs. "_And why does the library have to be so tall?"_ he continued to complain silently. As his messy jumpy manner continued with sating breaths running up the stairs, he could feel his legs give way by the time he reached the fifth floor.

The sound of his heaving breaths was causing enough disturbances stirring the concentration of those nearby. Even the librarians keeping watchful eyes were inclined to hiss at him.

Scrat quietly, and sloppily, made his way to the bookshelf near the corner at the fifth floor. "_The book the book,_" he chanted to himself. The completion of his thesis was relying on the text within that piece of literature. And, with a distinct beam of sunlight shining through the empty spaces in the bookshelf, the title at the spine was enveloped in a bright light.

"The Compete Almanac of Acorns," he muttered. He anxiously walked towards it with his eye glazing all over, dropping his stuff on the floor without another thought passing through his mind. But as soon as he reached his hand towards the spine, he didn't expect another to bump into his.


End file.
